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Well, Sony Singapore is going around the various camera stores in Singapore and showing off the RX100 III camera, the photos it takes, and taking pre-orders for it. I managed to chance upon the event, and played around with the camera a bit. Not long enough to make definitive impressions, but enough to get a feel of it.

Imagine taking Sony’s excellent compact camera the RX100, retain its 1 inch, 20 megapixel sensor, sticking a long 24-200 F2.8 Carl Zeiss lens in front, and bulk up the camera with a quasi-DSLR shape, and you get the new Sony RX10 – announced today to much fanfare.

The new Cyber-shot RX10 camera adds a high-zoom model to its premium line of Cyber-shot RX series cameras. The original RX100, and the subsequent RX100 II, if you aren’t already aware, is an excellent compact camera with a largish 1″ size sensor producing excellent 20 megapixel images rivalling those of low end DSLRs. The new RX100 upped the ante by providing a zoom that goes from a wide angle of 24mm (35mm equivalent) to a focal length of 200mm, useful for birding, zoos, stage work, concerts etc. Continue reading Large Sensor, Long Zoom – The new Sony RX10→

Sony today released the CyberShot DSC-RX1R, an update to the rather pricey but nonetheless popular CyberShot RX-1 released last year. It’s exactly the same as last year’s RX-1 but without the anti-aliasing (AA) filter, which is supposed to give you a sharper image at the expense of possibly more moiré. It’s just as pricey, costing US$2,800 and will be available from next month. The RX1 will still be sold, so it’ll be kind of like the Nikon D800, which is also available without the AA filter in the form of the D800E.

Sony CyberShot RX100 II

For the more budget-conscious, Sony has also released the CyberShot DSC-RX100 II, which replaces the very popular RX1, also released last year. It features a new 1″ backside-illuminated (BSI) sensor, which Sony claims is 40% more sensitive in low light than the RX1’s sensor. Like the RX1R and many other newly released cameras, Sony has also done away with the AA filter in the RX100 II for delivering sharper, more detailed images.

The RX100 II also comes equipped with WiFi and NFC capabilities, allowing one-touch wireless content transfer between compatible devices. Another useful feature is the addition of a 3″which can tilt upwards up to 84º and up to 45º downwards, giving greater versatility and flexibility in composing shots.

YS: I’m going to be absolutely biased here, because I don’t like Sony as a company, so it’s really hard for me to say anything nice about them (consequently, don’t expect them or their representatives to be sending cameras for us to review – sorry Sony fans), and really, the prices for these cameras are too much. There might be a case for the RX100, but the RX1 in either form is just madness.

David: I don’t like Sony as a camera company either, but I got to admit that the RX100 was a real game changer in terms of compact pocketable cameras with (relatively) large sensors. The RX100 II will no doubt continue this legacy with better quality images at high ISO. Looking forward to trying out this one!

The RX1 was likewise a game changer with the smallest compact camera body holding a full frame sensor, with a gorgeous 35mm f2 Zeiss lens, complete with aperture ring – this is the camera Leica should have built. I wouldn’t mind owning one myself if I have the moolah, being a fan of fixed lenses, 35mm primes and full frame sensors. I have tried the camera and it’s almost perfect, except for the price, which is a little on the steep side, but even then, if you buy a similarly decked out Nikon D600 with a Nikon 35mm f1.4G (the 35 f2 doesn’t cut it in terms of equivalent image quality), you will end up paying more, and you can’t stuff that into your jacket pocket. The RX1R is like buying a pocketable Nikon D800E and a Nikon 35 f1.4G while paying less. I can’t see it failing in a market chock full of “me too” mirrorless designs. This one’s a winner!